Child's Play
by TheWordMasterofFiction
Summary: For Tonesticpilot's contest. When the world ends suddenly, people must change,in either a good or bad way, to fit the new world they live in. Yet how could everything end so suddenly? There has to be a reason...and it's not what you may think.


**Hello everyone! This is my submission for the Apocalypse Contest that** Tonesticpilot (that's Foxpilot, Autistic, and Tune4toons' contest) is currently hosting. I've had this idea brewing around my head for a while, and the contest has given me the perfect excuse to write it out! Although it's a little on the short side, I really didn't want to drag it out so much that by the time you reached then end, you were bored out of your mind! So, please enjoy my entry, and tell me what you think!****

*****Nintendo owns everything*****

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><p>He surveyed the ruined landscape from amid the concrete pillars of the parking garage, dark eyes scanning for any sign of movement in the street. All was relatively quiet today; the rubble and debris surrounding him still and silent in the afternoon sun. Only the occasional rustle of the wind reminded him that time continued to tick slowly along...although it was impossible to tell amid the destruction. In fact, it seems as though Time itself had perished in whatever disaster that had struck this place. It made the man feel a pang of sadness for the friends and others he had known-all probably buried now under the mountain of mess Nature herself had erected.<p>

Suddenly there was the sound of approaching feet in the silence. The man stiffened, pulling out his gun as he moved fluidly behind one of the pillars for cover. Clicking the safety back, he waited as the sound of the person drew nearer, quietly wishing that maybe this wouldn't turn out like his past encounters as he leaped out with his gun pointed at the figure.

Only to find a gun in his own face.

"Freeze!" The figure ordered from the shadows, causing the man's eyes to widen in recognition. He _knew_ that voice...

"Samus?" He whispered hoarsely, as the bounty hunter lowered her gun, stepping out into the light to look at him with a shocked pale face.

"_Snake?"_ She broke into a smile as her old friend. "My God, I thought you were-"

"Dead?"

"Or worse. I haven't seen any of you guys at all since-" Shaking her head, the smile was replaced by a grim stare as she looked at the spy. "Well, it's good that you're alive. Guess it means that I won't have to worry about being alone anymore-not that I couldn't take care of myself."

Snake knew Samus was a tough person, but he was shocked by how much she had changed in such a short time: her already skinny form had become skeletal, her ribs showing through her now-baggy Zero Suit. At some point she had chopped off her long blonde ponytail, leaving her hair a scraggly yellow mess filled with knots and tangles. A nasty red cut stretched across her left cheek, which looked as though she had received it only a few days ago, and her face was covered in a thin layer of dust and dirt. Yet what stuck out to Snake the most was the new emotion he saw in the bounty hunter's eyes: desperation. She had always been a confident and strong woman-but that had disappeared along with the rest of normality, at least according to her appearance and the despair in her eyes.

"It's good to see that you survived, Sam." Snake finally said, using the old nickname he had called her by back in the day. "Things haven't been easy lately."

She snorted. "Tell me about it. So, do you know if anyone else is alive?"

"I know Falcon and Wolf made it out okay-they're somewhere near the old warehouse on the edge of town last time I checked. I found Lucario holed out in the junkyard a few weeks ago, so he and I have been working together for a bit. Plus, I think I might have seen Zelda-"

He paused for a second as a device that looked like a pedometer on his hip began to jiggle wildly, even though he remained perfectly still. He cursed as he saw it shake, then turned to Samus "We've got to run-another wave is coming."

She sucked in a quick breath, but said nothing as the the two dashed out of the garage and into the street...just as the ground began to shake and roll beneath their feet.

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><p>Once they had all laughed at the thought of the world ending. They had been fighters (both good and evil) once before...and after the things they had gone through, anything seemed laughable. Here in their city they would spend their days in peace and enjoyment, becoming soft and lazy the longer they stayed.<p>

This, Snake had realized later on, was the reason so many of them had died.

It had been a pretty normal day, actually. The summer was in full swing, and the sun had hugged their backs from amid the clear blue sky. In all, a beautiful day for the world to end. Master Hand, the giant hand that had created this magnificent Eden, had decided to host a celebration on account of it being four years since they had defeated some sort of evil (Snake had long forgotten who or what exactly it was). Everyone was having a good time- even the normally grumpy Ganondorf was engaged in a heated game of volleyball. Everything was being held inside the domed stadium where they had once Brawled against each other- now the place was rigged with lights and disco balls for parties. Yes, everything was perfect as always.

Until the ground shook.

It only lasted a second the first time, knocking a few tables over and causing all fun to cease. They had all stood in that ghostly silence for what felt like eternity, the tacky plastic balloons wavering like the emotions of those present.

Then Fox cracked a joke about Bowser's weight making the earth shake, and the entire party was in full swing again, the music blaring from the speakers even louder than before. Yet to Snake, something felt off, and he could tell that Lucario felt the same way. He had walked over to the Aura Pokémon and muttered "That was weird."

"_Something is not right." _The thoughts of Lucario drifted through his mind like the whispers of the wind. _"I feel as though the entire world is shifting against me...like I am about to witness something filled with anger-"_

It was at that moment that the world finally decided to end its existence.

There had been a sound like a thousand nails on a chalkboard in the air, as the falling of steel and the wrenching of metal drowned out the screams of his friends. Everyone had panicked and raced to the nearest exit as the ground opened up and the dome collapsed, crushing those who were lucky enough to avoid being swallowed. Snake had watched as Mario vanished into the earth, Link had shoved Zelda out of the way of a steel beam, and-the most shocking of all- Nana had screamed as she held the broken body of her brother in her arms. The air was filled with dust and falling debris, making it hard for the spy to see where he was going. He tripped over something and had looked back to see a large white finger sticking out from beneath one of the giant disco balls that had hung from the roof. Appalled and sick, he had managed to crawl underneath a set of bleachers on the far side of the stadium before he was sick, huddling into a ball and shaking as he was bombarded by the sounds of a dying city.

Death, he thought, was better than living in this nightmare.

The next day he had managed to pull himself out from under the bleachers, looking around with shock at the destruction that lay everywhere around him. Part of the stadium wall had fallen down, allowing him to see the ruined state of the once pristine city. His eyes had filled with tears at the thought of his friends now dead or missing, knowing that he could be the only one left.

The last fighter amidst a world of destruction.

Over a few weeks, he had adapted to his new environment, learning how to scavenge for his meal and how to survive the many dangers the earth now coughed up day by day. After a few months, he had returned to the same shape he had been in during his days as a spy, his mind tough and sharpened to a fine point. Snake had come up with numerous methods to warn him of the earth's dangers-which sometimes meant either living or dying with only seconds to decide what to do. Every once in a while he would spot signs that someone had also lived in this ghostly city beside himself-although he nearly lost his emotions when he found a ragged stuffed bear on the ground. Carefully he had peeled it from the pavement, examining its torn face and fur…although it retained its bearish smile. It was hard to forget that children had died here, and as he had held it in his hands Snake couldn't help but wish that this nightmare would end. Yet, there was no changing this world, or his ways that may have once seemed odd to others. It was how he now had to live, and although it was strange and demanding, it was what had allowed him to survive for this long.

At least up until now.

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><p>The ground roared as Samus and Snake dashed across the cracked street, yawning gaps appearing where their feet had skimmed the ground seconds before. The spy looked wildly around as the earth waved up and down, making him feel like a boat amid a storm. "We need to get to the junkyard-Lucario set up a space that's pretty much quake-proof!" He yelled over the sounds of destruction around him.<p>

"'Pretty much?' "

"Well, it doesn't fall over or crush us!"

"Sounds good to me-watch your left!"

Snake swerved as a light post came crashing down a few feet from him, wishing that Sonic was still around to help him outrun all the dangers-although he doubted that Sonic could speed over a seven-foot gap. Already the worst of the quake was beginning to subside, the earth shaking less and less with each passing second as the pair began to run out of energy. Luckily, the quake stopped altogether as their energy ran out, leaving them wheezing and struggling to breath.

"That...wasn't so bad." Samus coughed and bent over, gulping in huge breaths of air as she recovered.

"Yeah...it was a shallow quake...not much damage and not as long." Wiping the sweat buildup from his bandanna, the spy gave a low whistle as he looked at the surrounding area. "Man, pretty soon there won't be any more to destroy."

"You better not say that- I'd rather stay alive than get swallowed up."

"Really? You want to survive out here in this hell-hole?"

The bounty hunter's familiar stubborn glare kicked in, making Snake chuckle as he shook his head in defeat. "Fine, you live then. We may want to hurry to the junkyard-the world seems to end a little more each minute.

Dusk fell without another tremor, allowing Snake and Samus to arrive at the junkyard earlier than they had expected. Samus' eyes widened as she spotted a small fire, but Snake held out his arm to bar her way.

"Look Sam, I know that you want to see Lucario, but...well, he's a little different since the incident."

"Different how?"

"Err...you'll see. Just don't ask him about what happened to him. He doesn't like talking about it."

The two walked into the junkyard, which ironically looked just the same as the rest of the city, save for a small blue tent and a makeshift shelter at the far edge of the bare space. Junk and debris were piled up high, creating a sort of wall around the campsite area. The glow of the setting sun cast strange shadows onto the ground, giving Samus a sense of foreboding as they approached the ragged blue tent.

"Lucario, are you in there?" Snake called out. "You'll never guess who I found!"

At first, there was no reply. Then slowly the flap of the tent lifted up, and the Aura Pokémon emerged, looking ragged but otherwise normal. _"Samus?" _

"Hey Lucario." She murmured, giving a half-hearted wave.

He stood there for a moment, before a smile slowly lifted the corners of his mouth. _"It's good to see that someone else has survived the devastation too." _His gentle thoughts trickled over her mind. _"It gives me hope that we may not be the only survivors."_

"Yeah, same here. Did you manage to find any food?" Snake had walked over to the small fire, where he warmed his hands as he spoke.

"_Yes, I discovered a can of beans." _Lucario held up the can, which looked like it was filled to the brim with mud._ "They're a little mushy, but still good."_

"Yum. Bring them over here-I'll heat them up and we all can have some."

Soon the beans were done, and everyone ate and talked about what they had been doing up until today (except Lucario, who occasionally would go wide-eyed, until Snake patted him on the shoulder and he relaxed). Samus couldn't help but notice how both looked uneasily around, as if they were on the lookout for something...or someone. Finally, she voiced her concern. "Okay, what exactly are you guys looking for?"

Snake shot a glance at Lucario, before he finally murmured. "You know how we've changed in order to survive?"

Samus nodded.

"Well, we're not the only ones."

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean that some of the survivors we've met have gotten...well, they can't seem to find anything to eat on their own. So lately, they've decided to raid our camp for supplies."

"_The used to only do it once a week," _Lucario cut in angrily, _"but then we caught them and they stopped for a while."_

"Only to come back twice as fast. Now they tend to strike every night-sometimes even twice in one day." Snake finished, turning to look at the rising moon behind him. "We don't know when they're going to come, but when they do we have to be ready."

"Why?" The bounty hunter's worry was growing as she spoke. "Who are they?"

"They're-"

_Thwack!_

From out of nowhere a glowing arrow shot into the ground in front of the fire, vibrating slightly from its flight. Snake and Lucario stared at it for a moment before they muttered, "They're here."

"Okay boys, put your hands _UP_!"

A feminine voice rang out from above, as someone fell nimbly to the ground clutching a parasol. As she raised it to point at the three, Samus gasped at the familiar face.

"PEACH?"

The princess of the Mushroom Kingdom gave a wry smile and a sarcastic wave. "Sammie dear, how nice to see you! Do you like my new outfit?" She twirled, showing off her patchwork pants and somewhat scandalous top (all a dusty shade of pink), then threw back her gnarled ponytail of blonde hair. "I made it myself-it's not as nice as my old dress, but it will do."

"Peach, keep it together!" Another female voice barked, as a tall brunette with an eye-patch emerged from the shadows, her golden bow still in hand. Although her hair was in a pixie cut and her dress had been replaced by a purple outfit similar to Peach's, Samus still recognized the newcomer by her pointed ears.

"Look Zellie-it's wittle Sammie!" Peach cooed as she poked Snake with her parasol. "I betcha they found Sammie and decided to share with her. Well, too bad, 'cause we're taking your stuff again!"

Zelda regarded Samus with a cold eye, before turning to an angry Snake and Lucario. "Hello again boys."

Snake spat at the Hylian princess. "Go to hell, you bi-"

He crumpled to his knees as Peach hit him with her frying pan, Zelda not reacting as Samus flinched at the brutality. "My my, such a temper...we may have to take a little extra in order to teach them a lesson." Zelda smiled wickedly before turning to face Samus. "Samus dear, how good to see you alive and well!"

"Zelda...what happened to you?" Samus whispered, causing Zelda's smile to grow even larger.

"Why, I merely changed to survive Samus. Surely you of all people know what that is like." She began to pace as she spoke, with Peach smirking happily behind her. "When the incident came I woke to find myself a few feet outside the dome, my eye hurting and my cheeks wet with tears. All I could remember was Link, who had been called 'the Hero of Time' in Hyrule...had died by being crushed by a beam-"

"_He did it to save you!"_ Lucario thought, only to receive a evil glare from Zelda, who continued with her story.

"I was hungry and tired and weak, and I had no idea of what was to come. So, I swore right then and there that I would not be as weak as Link was, that I would go down fighting instead of having myself crushed or swallowed by the earth. After fixing myself an eyepatch, I set off to see if there were any other survivors. On the second day, I came across three: Pit, Pikachu, and Peach, who were all weak and starving. After pretending to want to join them, I convinced Peach to join me, so that she could help us live for as long as possible. Together we killed the other weaklings, and thus the Sisterhood was born."

"The Sisterhood of Survival!" Peach held her pan up in the air like the Statue of Liberty, while Zelda merely smirked.

"Now we are living the good life, always happy and not having to fear the earth crushing us at a moments notice. We have truly changed for the better...but we would love to have another join our ranks." Slowly Zelda circled Samus, who stood with stone-cold eyes. "Perhaps you would be willing to join us, Samus? It will be well worth it, I assure you. No longer would you have to be hungry or tired or scared-you would be happy and well-fed. It would be just like the old days! So, will you join us and become a member of the Sisterhood?"

Snake and Lucario looked at Samus, who turned to face the princesses. "You killed Pikachu."

"It was for the best, Sam-"

" You. Killed. Pikachu." Her voice was filled with venom now, rising as her anger boiled over. "You horrible woman, killing innocent people without even a second thought. They were our friends, Zelda! You murdered your own friends in cold blood! You haven't changed for the better-you and Peach have become monsters. I would rather _die _than ally myself with you guys, even if you stuck a freaking arrow through my head!"

All were silent for a moment as Samus stared at Zelda, whose shock was quickly covered up with anger. "Fine then." She remarked primly. "I think it's time for a different negotiation." She held up her bow, pointing a glowing arrow straight at Snake while her eyes never left Samus. "New deal: either you join with us, or I put an arrow through this man. Whichever way, you_ will_ join us, but it's your choice: do you want your friend to die or not?"

"Samus, don't do it." Snake hissed through gritted teeth. "Don't ruin the time you have left."

"Aw look, the spy wants to give up and _die_!" Peach cackled. "Come on Zellie-stick it right between his eyes!"

"Well Samus?" Zelda raised her eyebrow. "What is it going to be?"

The earth decided to answer that question.

With a mighty howl the earth began to sway violently, knocking everyone to their feet and causing the walls of junk to sway dangerously. Cracks began to appear in the ground, and as Samus watched a crack formed underneath the spy with a hiss, Snake looking up and catching the bounty hunter's eye with a smile. Then the earth opened up, and he felt himself fall, the sounds of Samus' screams drifting off as he fell on and on and on...

* * *

><p>Ness gave a falsetto scream as the Snake action figure hit the ground, it's left arm snapping out of its plastic socket as Lucas quickly popped it back in.<p>

"No fair guys-you said we'd warn about the earthquakes before we did them!" Toon Link whined as he snatched the Snake figure and propped him back beside the action figures of Lucario and Samus.

"Yeah, but then what's the point of that?" Popo looked at the Zelda doll with the chopped off hair and eye patch. "Besides, we can't let Zelda kill Snake!"

"Why not?"

"'Cause Snake's too awesome, that's why!" Lucas moved his Samus doll closer to the fake fire, careful not to disturb the ring of candy wrappers that served as the junkyard.

"Fine." Ness sighed. "How about we make Peach die instead? We don't need her anyway."

The three boys nodded and shook the table where they had set up their toys, making rumbling noises that sounded exactly like an earthquake.

A feet yards away, most of the Brawlers looked on in shock. They had stood there for about an hour, watching as they were crushed, swallowed, or killed by evil princesses. Some, like Falcon and Mario, were trying not to laugh, while a few were clearly upset.

"I'm _evil?_" Zelda murmured to herself as Link comfortingly patted her on the back. "Why do I have an eye patch?"

"What am I wearing?" Peach looked angry at the sight of her revealing outfit. "That is NOT what I look like!"

Fox nudged Luigi. "Ten bucks says that Snake and Samus will make out."

"No way-I say twenty!" Bowser butted in, as Samus muttered something under her breath and Snake tried not to seem interested in the betting-although he did slip a fifty into the Koopa's claws.

"Nooooooo!" Plastic Peach fell to the ground with a thud, an apparent victim of the earthquake. "Grrr-I'll get you for this, Samus! You'll regret not joining me when you had the chance!" Popo squeaked as he raised the plastic arm of the princess threateningly and made her rocket away, while Ness threw Peach into a small pile of other dead characters.

"You weren't really going to choose them, were you Samus?" Toon link muttered in his deepest voice.

"No Snake, I wasn't going to let you die!" Lucas said in an airy falsetto as the boys mashed the faces of the two together.

There was a curse from the onlookers as money exchanged hands and thrown into a small betting jar by Fox's feet-although for the moment it only contained pennies and Samus and Snake deliberately looked away. The boys paid no attention to them, and continued with their little game about the end of the world.

Because that's all it really was in the end...just a bit of child's play.


End file.
